Thermostat



Jan. 23, 1940. Y 2,187,886

THERMOSTAT Filed Aug. 25, 1938 IN VENTOR.

paw/ l ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THERMOS'IATApplication August 23, 1938, Serial No. 226,295 1 Claim. (01. 233-34)This invention relates to thermostatic valve mechanisms of the by-passtypes such as are used with internal combustion engines for the purposeof effecting a thermostatic control of the flow of 5 the cooling liquidfor such engines through circuits including the radiators thereof aswell as for effecting a thermostatic control of the flow of such liquidthrough by-pass circuits ,excluding the radiators. v

10 One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improvedconstruction whereby the outlet casting may be secured to the enginehead and at the same time enable the housing of the thermostatic valvemechanism-to maintain an em- 15 cient seal between the by-pass outletand the outlet through which water is conducted to the radiator. Afurther object of the invention is to provide an improved constructionof that portion or the valve mechanism which controls the circulal tionof the cooling fluid through the by-pa'ss circuit. I accomplish theforegoing objects in and through the construction and arrangement ofparts shown in the drawing hereof, wherein Fig. 25 1 represents, avertical medial sectional view through my improved thermostatic valvedevice, as it appears installed on the head of an internal combustionengine and with the by-pass valves in open position; and Fig. 2 asectional view taken 30 on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the bellowsin elevation and the by-pass valves in closed position.

Describing the parts herein by reference characters, I represents a partof the head of an internal combustion engine, the same being providedwith an opening 2 communicating with a portion 2 of the water-jacketcircuit. An outlet casting 3 is secured to the engine head in anyapproved manner, as by lugs ll and bolts 4. This casting is providedwith an annular chamber 5 which communicates with the opening 2 and witha connection 6 through which cooling liquid from the engine is conductedto the radiator; also with a by-pass hose connection I through whichthe.

45 cooling liquid is circulated in the usual manner. 3 denotes a gasketwhich is interposed between the base of the casting 3 and the enginehead.

The base of the casting 3 is also provided with a radially inwardlyprojecting flange 9 provided 50 with an annular seat 9 for the receptionof an outturned flange ill on the bottom of the skirt ll of the valvehousing of my thermostatic valve device, the bottom. of the flange Ibeing held in engagement with the inner portion of the gasket is by theupper wall of the seat 9".

It will be noted that the shoulder l2 which is formed at the top of thecylindrical skirt I E is engaged by the bottom of the radially inwardlyprojecting annular shoulder 3 the length of the skirt being such thatthe shoulder l2 forms a seal with the bottom of the shoulder 3 when theflange I0 is inserted into the annular seat 9 which is formed at theinner edge of the bottom of. the flange 9. The gasket 8 is made ofcompressible resilient material and is made exces- 10 sively thick, ascompared with standard practice, for the purpose of insuring a sealbetween the bottom of the casting 3 and the engine head, even shouldthere be some small clearance between the top of the flange I0 and thebottom of the annular seat 9" in the flange 9.

Where thermostatic valves are provided with cylindrical skirts havingopenings in the wall thereof, as shown herein, there has been a tendencyfor the valve members which control these 24 openings to adhere to theskirt, due to their contact therewith throughout their entire movement,with resultant impairing of the efficient operation of the valvemechanism in controlling the flow of the cooling liquid through bothcircuits. 25

By the construction shown and now to be described, I am enabled toovercome this objection and to accomplish the object in and through arelatively simple and inexpensive construction and operation.

The valve housing is provided at the top with a neck I3 forming a seatfor the valve which controls the flow of cooling liquid to the radiator.

This valve, and the valve members which cooperate with the openings inthe skirt H are carrled on the top of the thermostatic bellows l5 whichis supported by a disk I6 extending beneath the bottom thereof. and bystraps l1 integrally connected with the said disk and having their upperends secured to and supported by the skirt.

To the top of the bellows there is sealed a disk l8 provided with armsl9 each having a valve member 20 having the general shape of a segmentof a cylinder. These valve members control the passage of cooling liquidto the bypass connection through the openings 2| in the skirt II. Itshould be noted that each of these openings is provided with a flange 22extending therearound and projecting into the interior of the skirt, thesaid flanges being adapted tobe engaged by the outer surfaces of thevalve mem-' bers 20. In order to prevent the tops of these valve membersfrom engaging beneath the bottoms oi the flanges 22, the tops arebeveled or rounded inwardly from the outer surfaces thereof, as shown at20. Furthermore, in .order to accommodate any lack of truly verticalmovement of the valve members, their side edges are also rounded orbeveled, whereby these members will move along their respective flangeswithout undue frictional resistance.

By providing the openings 2| with the flanges 22, which can beaccomplished by an extruding operation, the outer surfaces of the valvemembers 20 can be spaced inwardly from the cylindrical skirt I I asuflicient distance to prevent engagement with the interior of theskirt, with consequent freedom from binding and sticking.

23 denotes the customary tubular stud, which is sealed to the disk 20,and through the bore 23*- whereof the bellows may be charged with asuitable liquid having the desired low-temperature vaporizing point, thetop of the bore being closed by a plug 24. The upper end of the stud isprovided with an external thread upon which the valve 25 is adjustablymounted, by means of the internally threaded sleeve 26.

With the parts constructed and arrangd as described, the operation willbe readily understood. When the cooling liquid of the engine is below apredetermined temperature, the valve 25 will be seated and the waterwill circulate freely through the interior of the skirt I I, theopenings II and the hose connection I to the water jacket of the motor.As the temperature of the cooling liquid rises, the valve members 20will be moved upwardly by the bellows, gradually and finally completelyclosing the openings 2 I, while the valve 25 will be correspondinglygradually opened until, when it reaches its fully open position, asillustrated in Fig. 2, the cooling liquid will circulate practicallyentirely through the circuit including the radiator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a by-pass thermostat valve mechanism for controlling the flow ofcooling liquid for an internal combustion engine, the combination of ahousing comprising a cylindrical skirt, a neck and an annular shoulderconnecting the top of the skirt and the neck, the said neck beingprovided at its outer end with a seat for a valve and the said skirtbeing provided with one or more openings for the passage of coolingliquid to a bypass connection, each of said openings having a flangesurrounding the same and projecting into the interior of the skirt, athermostatic bellows, means for supporting the bottom of the saidbellows in fixed relation to said housing, a valve carried by the upperend of said bellows adapted to cooperate with the seat formed on theouter end of said neck, and a valve member for each of said openingscarried by the said bellows and each being so shaped as to contact withits outer surface the flange surrounding each of the openings in thesaid skirt, the top of each valve member being rounded or beveledinwardly from tne outer surface thereof, and a thick gasket ofcompressible material interposed between the bottoms of the said flangesand the seat surrounding the opening in the engine head.

EDWARD L. MAYO.

